To tip or not to tip Supermarket Delivery Drivers

[hellhavenofury]

AIBU to not know the etiquette of tipping supermarket delivery drivers? What does everyone else do? Is there a rule for this? We have had food deliveries for ages but never thought about it before until last night. Had a lovely delivery driver who was super helpful, really chatty and he kind of lingered when he was done and I didn't know what to do.

No they wouldn't be allowed to accept it either

Eh? I tip my Sainsburys driver every week - usually £2 - and they ( and the Tesco and Waitrose people over the many years) have all said thanks and pocketed the cash. I usually accompany it with a "thanks for saving me a 2 hour trip to hell" and mean it, and they go on their way.

It's up to you OP. I get the same few drivers so it's nice to acknowledge their help.

I always tip them £1.50 or £2 but I live in a flat with no lift so feel bad on them carrying it up the stairs

Nope. I really don't want the tipping culture (where tips are expected) to arrive more prominently. Maybe if they did something more than expected then I might give a tip.

No. I sometimes get a few smaller deliveries per week rather than one big one as there isn't much storage room and I also tend to underestimate how much fresh veg & stuff is needed. I'd be broke if I tipped

I do but only one. He's a lovely fellow, homesick for Croatia. I'm homesick for Switzerland so we have great chats.

They're not supposed to accept if they get offered or was the case a couple of years ago!

I don’t. Tipping is outdated, feudal and demeaning to both the giver and recipient. I am, however, a strong supporter of the Living Wage which should make tipping unnecessary.

I can see it being nice, but I really don't want the UK to end up like the US with all their tipping

I used to but it was getting too expensive so we just give a can of fizzy. Gave beers at Christmas to a very chuffed driver.

I tip my Ocado drivers. I am pretty poor and in social housing. My neighbourhood is affluent and most of my friends are very well off. None of them tip their delivery drivers. (I’ve asked lots and noticed it too when I’m there).

I gave the two IKEA delivery drivers a bottle of beer each when they delivered my DS's loft bed on Sunday afternoon, 23rd December and brought all 17 massive boxes into the sitting room and stacked them all up for me.

I spent all of the rest of the afternoon building massive STUVA loft bed by myself before DS got back from his father so he could sleep in it that night!

I never tip my Tesco drivers ... Am I meant to? It really never occurred to me. I have a variety - there's Mr Grumpy who never carries it through to the kitchen; there's Mr Shorts (yes, he carries them well), The New One who had to return to store when he realised half his crates were missing ....

I get a monthly shop delivered so it's always a huge amount of stuff, it's almost always the same guy that delivers it and he always bring the shopping in and helps to unpack and doesn't mind if I leave him to it for a minute to see to baby DS. I always tip him, he's super lovely.

It’s never crossed my mind tbh.

I tip a couple of quid, we’ve got stairs up to our house so I’m grateful to them bringing the stuff up.

I would never even think to tip a delivery driver
I wouldn't tip the cashier at the supermarket. I don't tip Amazon or Hermes drivers, or the postman.

If it's because they're doing you a favour not having to do your own shopping, what about whoever does the" picking" of your items - where's their tip?

Never occurred to me. I tip if I go out for food and there was table service (unless the service was shit, of course). I also too if I go for a massage or a wax. I would also tip for an exception hair dresser experience. I don't think I would in any other situation. Maybe a fancy hotel when they bring up your suitcases?

Been doing online supermarket shopping for about 4-5 years and it has not once occurred to me to tip them .. then I hate the whole tipping thing anyway (why tip hairdressers and not nurses etc etc ... don't get it!).

If he lingered, I'd suspect he was a bit bored and hoping to carry on chatting - I gather from mine that they can have huge chunks of time sat waiting till they're allowed to do their next delivery.

One supermarket beginning with A already regularly award their delivery drivers with quite good bonuses/rewards while those people who actually do the shopping for you get nothing extra.

I guess the general consensus is not to. He just seemed extremely happy to be delivering my weekly shop at 8pm on a Friday!!

My daughter does this job, her employers state tipping is not allowed. The vast majority don't tip, once in a blue moon someone is absolutely adamant they take a tip, usually it's a pound or two and it's easier to just gracefully accept the money than keep

Refusing to take it